Tina D. Howell is a business expert with over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur. She is the owner and CEO of two highly successful Wingstop franchises located in South Florida and also owns and serves as the CEO of Virtual Home Care Inc., one of the largest minority-owned home health agencies, located in Dallas.
She purchased her first Wingstop franchise in 2002 when she identified a need and went on to become the first Wingstop restaurant owner in Miami-Dade County, Florida. She successfully opened a total of four Wingstop franchises, and later divested interest in two of the locations. The combined gross revenue of her businesses totaled approximately $7 million in 2015. Howell is currently in the process of expanding her presence in South Florida with the development of two additional Wingstop locations.
She shares her wealth of business knowledge with companies and entrepreneurs alike through her consulting firm, Tina’s Perspective. She attributes her success in business to her natural leadership abilities. Howell is a woman who perseveres through adversity with minimal focus on circumstances. She understands how to motivate those around her to maximum performance and productivity through leading by example. As a motivational speaker and mentor, Howell enjoys engagements where she discusses strategic business planning and operations, financial guidance and spiritual insight.
She offers her philosophy on success, “We are who we believe we are. We can accomplish what we believe we can accomplish. What we think is powerful, and what we believe to be true is important. Activities that promote personal growth and development are at the top of my to-do list. I realize that I am not perfect, but I’m to accept what is as part of the process as I err, grow and learn.”
Read what else she has to say.
What inspires you to show up at work every day?
I am naturally driven and motivated to succeed.
How did you determine your career path?
I realized early on that I liked being in a leadership role, organizing an event, people and things and I did not function as well when micromanaged or managed for that matter.
Describe the skill sets that will be essential to future business leaders and innovators.
Self-determination, integrity, humility and a willingness to learn from others and be wrong.
Describe innovative methods you apply to your business and life.
I work to understand the personalities of the people I work with and know what motivates them. I learned the hard way that different things motivate individuals and figuring what those things are is an art.
How do you set goals and evaluate your success?
One of my goal setting method is to evaluate where I am in each area of my life spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially. I use where I am and where I would like to be as a monitor and guide. I then work to set realistic and practical goals for myself, remembering that realistic and practical for me may be very different from what it is for someone else.
Names three books that changed how you saw life and you recommend to others?
Think and Grow Rich. The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The Power of Now. That’s four.
Describe why lifelong learning is important to you.
Life is all about change. If we are not open to growth and development we embrace what I feel is a form of ignorance that may hinder us from experiencing life.
What are three female success factors?
Tenacity, commitment, and the mindset to never give up.
Technology plays what role in your daily life?
As I said earlier, life is about change. I love doing things the old fashioned way and feel much of technology has made life easier and at the same time much more difficult to manage. I utilize technology mainly as a way to communicate and advance my professional objectives.
What social media or digital tool has made the biggest difference in your life and why?
Facebook has allowed me to connect with a vast number of people.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
That we love and accept one another for who we are and what we believe in while at the same time attempting to not impose our beliefs onto others.
If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
To be more intuitive or at least learn to listen to and trust myself more.
Who or what motivates you and why?
Life motivates me because I realized long ago that this is a ride that to an extent we choose to ride and when the ride is over, we all must get off.
What are the do’s and don’ts for young women in business?
Do perfect your skill and maximize your knowledge in your area of practice. Do not compromise your values, ethics and morals.
How do you successfully grow from business failure?
Get up, dust yourself off, review what you did well and what may have contributed to your failure, come up with a new plan and start again.
Name three of your most successful female role models and share why.
Jada Pinkett Smith rose from street life to a spiritual personal and professional path that she seems to be content with.
Michelle Obama managed to keep it clean and support her husband throughout her life and the only thing they could criticize her for was showing her arms
Harriet Tubman had the courage and guts to live for what she believed in, helping herself and others and was willing to die for it as well.
Additionally, Howell has her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry and minor in mathematics. She is a mother of three and a resident of Florida, splitting her time between Dallas and Miami. In her spare time, Howell enjoys reading, traveling and spending quality time with her loved ones.
